February 24 marks the arrival of a much-anticipated collaboration between seven-time Grammy-nominated pianist, composer and bandleader Omar Sosa and Senegalese kora master and Songlines award-winner, Seckou Keita. Their new album Transparent Water grew from a chance musical encounter in London in 2012, as Omar made an impromptu addition to a date shared by Seckou and drummer Marque Gilmore. As a result of busy touring and recording schedules, a year later Omar and Seckou finally entered the Fattoria Musica studio in Osnabrück, Germany to lay down the core tracks.

A veritable array of other musical contributions also features on the album. Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble member and sheng master Wu Tong recorded sheng and bawu in Beijing, and Omar also enlisted the creative voice of Paris-based koto artist Mieko Miyazaki. Native Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles brings the polyrhythmic spirit of the African diaspora to the project.

Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita will tour France in March 2017, followed by a tour of the UK in November, dates of which will be announced in early 2017.